All you need is the heart of the cards… and a PC-based VR headset.
Everyone’s favorite late-’90s card-dueling anime has finally made its way to VR headsets, albeit not 100% legally. A fan project developed for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality Headsets, Duel Monsters VR is a lovingly-crafted VR rendition of the classic manga/anime/gaming series, Yu-Gi-Oh!, that allows fans of the franchise to step into its fictional universe and battle each other for the first time in VR.
Developed by the team over at Sloth Paradise, the game boasts a variety of monsters, characters, settings, and various other elements from the franchise; giving players the chance to feel what it’s like to participate in a deadly Shadow Game. Players can battle each other in one-on-one duels online via multiplayer servers which opened earlier today.
“You get to duel on a Kaiba Corp blimp. You can use Yugi’s and Joey’s decks from Battle City; duel against your opponent just as you would in the show,” states Sloth Paradise.
The most recent v0.0.1 buid also introduces a slew of excellent features sure to please any experienced duelist; this includes voice chat functionality, drop in drop out multiplayer, the ability to climb trees, NPC interactivity, as well as the option to throw your cards at random strangers! You can even climb a massive Blue Eyes White Dragon and spawn the legendary Elemental Hero Neos.
Sufficeth to say, Duel Monsters VR is by no means an officially sanctioned release. The fan-made project has no affiliation to series creator Kazuki Takahashi, or any other corporations tied to the license. So, if you’re a fan of the series looking to get your card-dueling on, I’d get a move on if I were one of you. Which I am! See you there!
Duel Monsters VR is available for download free via Discord. The developers have also provided a website called Duelworld.Online to assist players in tracking stats and finding other challengers to duel.
Looking to throw down against your buddies on familiar turf? Sloth Paradise also offers Duel Monsters GO, an AR version of the experience available free on the Microsoft HoloLens. This alternative features voice commands, local multiplayer functionality on the same internet connection, and a manual dueling simulator.
So, whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in an over-the-top world filled with gravity-defying hair, or trying to bring high-stakes card-battling right into your living room, Sloth Paradise has you covered.
Image Credit: Sloth Paradise